2022 March

Gingers are usually cheerul and happy, but  that was totally inappropriate for the shocking events that have happened this month, so I made this sad Ginger holding a Ukraine sunflower.  I'm not making them for sale but I have made a donation to the Red Cross appeal

On a more cheerful nore, the very talented Janine blogged about keeping a Book of Days - projects that grab your attention.  They are entered in the book as a safe place to keep ideas, they may never be made but they have been recorded.  My art skills are not up to hers and I tend to use Pinterest for ideas I want to keep, but she did inspire me to make a log of everything I have started to make and really should finish one day!

Be kind about my drawings - they are rubbish, but they are enough to remind me of each project, and that's all I need.  As I type this I realised there are still more to go in the book, but this gives you an idea!

I really do need to finish something before I start something else!  My plan is to cut off the top right corner if each project as I finish it so I can have a visual pat on the back for actually finishing something!!!

Not in the book, because it's crochet not sewing, is the Fall Shawl V2.  By mid March I got back to the size when I'd had to frog it 

And now, it's 99% finished (about 6 ends to sew in).  It's about 2m wide on the longest side so very difficult to photograph

It's lovely to wear, and I'm loving the "picot triangles" on the edge: I totally failed to grasp the instructions but with long distance help from Jackie and Amo I bodged a wiggly edge and am more than happy!

I went and set up the village hall early for Stitch and Crafty Church this month so I could speed date these 'covered corner' blocks in peace and privacy.  My thought was that I could do it at Crafty Church but I needed 8 tables which is all we have, and it's Lisa's birthday pressie so it's better if she doesn't see it!

Talking of birthdays - this glass panel was Brian's birthday pressie from the girls and I, I love it!

I made this Ginger for a friend,

And lots of these for Mothering Sunday at Church

However life then changed based on one of these (well two actually as husband had a matching one!)

So - jobs that had been put off for years no longer had any excuse to be put off any longer!  New kitchen cupboard doors and worksurfaces are due in April to transform this

So cupboards came down and walls and ceilings were painted

Cupboards cleaned

Patio tidied

And the fabric matched and cut

And half way to being a Chemo Comforter requested by a colleague of Niki's

But an opps!  

Do not proceed if you have any affilliation with the Quilt Police!

I cant believe when planning this block  I never considered seam allowance

How stupid is this!!!  How many years have I been patchworking????

It's simply too late to do anything about this - I think've used ten packs of FQ!!! I can't start again -  All I can say is I hope Lisa loves it despite the gaps!  (Plum I need to re-write the instructions!!!!!)

PS - and blogger spell checks seems to have gone on holiday, so aplogies for any spelling mistakes!

2021 Week 31

 How is it August already???

Next month one of our two village summer fairs will be returning after two years - the theme is Hatland so I thought a ginger with lots of hats was a good way to while away a few hours!

Lisa finished this awesome crochet blanket and promptly gave it to Niki on long term loan (she's fed up with it but knows she will fall in love with it again so they'll swap next time she finishes something!)

Lynne gave me some rhubarb - a better crop than mine!!! 

Together they made a delicious crumble

Stitch started back on Saturday - so lovely to meet people in real life!!!  Not many pics, but lots of organising and sorting, and a little bit of chatting!!!

 

Crafty Church also started back on Saturday (and some of us had a picnic between!) Again, fab to see so many people and an amazing show and tell (and disgracefully no photos)

We had patchworking, embroidery, knitting, crochet, painting . . . and funnily enough a load more chatting!

An embroidery for one customer

 

And a label for another

And a Hug for a young Ginger fan who has COVID so cant have any real hugs

And this one (on the right) was bridesmaid again at another lovely wedding . . . 

So a few more gingers and tissue packs

And finally another #Craftivism Ginger for World Drowning Prevention Day

2020 Wk 20 - still out of routine!

I still don't feel in the rhythm of this new-normal, so blogging doesn't occur to me very often - I do refer to this a lot when I need to remind myself about things that I have made so it annoys me when I haven't blogged!!

So here is an update for the last few weeks!

We have been making a "Caring Snake" ... painting stones and adding them to the body of a snake!  Afterwards its going to be set into concrete and treated as a permanent reminder of how we coped with the pandemic.  I did a Ginger (of course) and a mandala sort of design, then two to represent Stitch and Crafty Church.  Sammi Snake is getting longer every day!

I've been asked to design this an an embroidery - gulp!

This is the screen shot of the draft design - more details need to be added now!

We planted some rhubarb earlier in the year :the one stalk made probably the world's smallest crumble, but it was delicious!!!

I usually make I-spy quilts with a plain square to embroider a name on, but completely forgot with this one.  It will go to Linus quilts, but just in case it doesn't make any sense to them I embroidered "I spy with my little eye something beginning with ..." on it!

The Ginger Auction has finished - phew!  There was a LOT of Facebook admin involved!  But worth it as they raised well over £1000 pounds!!!

I thought I'd finished with them for a while, but this hexi flower ginger was waiting to be designed!!!

Aswas this sailor!

Another I Spy quilt has been finished, embroidered and delivered to Grandma: Hello baby Kyron

And this summer quilt (coverlet) has been finished and has received the kitty seal of approval!

2020 Wk 18 - how to find your Mojo

I realised today what had enabled me to start sewing again after last week's slump: look at the computer and see that there is lots to do for the Parish Council (actions from the auditor's report, get quotes for new website and new insurance) the village hall committee (write agenda for and arrange a virtual meeting and finish all my actions from the last meeting), the vicar (safeguarding training and a list by month but not year of the parishioners who have died in the last 3 years, plus write agenda for and arrange a virtual meeting), and start a new post as hub lead for the Parent and Family Hub for the villages' voluntary group. (I cant believe I have never needed a procrastination label before!)

No idea where to start or how to prioritise these jobs (Amo feel free to organise me) so I did some sewing instead!!!

For the lovely Tara who comes to Crafty Church I made this (she is a scene of crime officer!  Hi Tara, thank you - SOCOs are still working and get to dress like this all year round, nothing to do with COVID 9!))

I made this guy in army camouflage, and a Mrs Mop - another two groups who are still working and doing a great job

 But now I'm out of the right shade of brown, so production has halted

I have had to stop making masks as I'm out of elastic too, but I have been giving virtual lessons, and helping out with fabric

I think I've has this 'Very Hungry Caterpillar' fabric for at least 10 years, with no particular purpose for it so happily gifted it to my friend Jane, whose daughter Polly (who you have met before on the blog) is a teacher in, wait for it, Caterpillar class!!!!

I managed to de-stash, to a good cause, and even better I got flowers and some of the world's best flapjack - still warm from Jane's oven!!!

And a lovely FB comment "With B’s guidance and fabric I managed to make these for daughter, a reception class teacher (caterpillar class!) if she has to wear masks when they go back hopefully she won’t scare the little ones any more than normal"

Also from FB: I made the bus Ginger to acknowledge our super 305 bus driver, but he wasn't on the group where I've been posting the photos.  Someone took a screen shot of it for him and this was his comment

"Just when U think life couldn't throw u another surprise u are immortalised as a ginger gingerbread bus driver.  Thank U very touched"

And yes there is more (obviously really struggling with what to start with for work)  Two nesting felt bowls (for useful stuff)

Delicious fluffy scones from plum's recipe

A super post card from Avril "We may be behind our door and windows but we are still connected"

I've started Hexi flowers for the May Hexi Swap Challenge, and have really enjoyed fussy cutting the fabric

And finally have repurposed a too big lining from a wooden crate into a useful big square bag for crochet or other "stuff"